Chapter 50

**Artemis**


My mind goes into overload from Blue’s words. Of course because I’m a man I start to feel hot all over and a certain part of my body is immediately interested, but another part of me is fighting all that. The reminder staring right back at me, that Blue is still hurt. She was attacked by a man and now is not the time for me to take advantage of her. Not that I would be since she is suggesting this, but I am also sure she will regret it if I agreed to spending the night with her. I don’t want our first time to be something she regrets.

I need to think about her, and that means making my intentions clear. This thing between us isn’t a hookup or occasional fun, she’s my wife now. Even if she doesn’t see it yet, she means something to me. More than anyone ever has, and I may not be able to say the words out loud but I can show it. Starting right now.

“Artemis? You look like you’re having a stroke over there.” She says with a nervous laugh.

Slowly I notice her face shift from playful to uncomfortable.

“I’m fine, but you aren’t.” I decide to say.

She looks at me confused, which is better than offended. “What do you mean?”

It doesn’t surprise me that she isn’t automatically offended by what I said. She’s caught on to the fact that I sound a lot more like an asshole than a nice guy.

I sit up and reach out to tuck a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. She doesn’t have her usual piercings in right now, and I miss them. They are part of what makes her so unique. No woman I know has four piercings in their ear and couldn’t wear them like she can.

“I want you to have a nice time here, and that means I want to do what you want. Do you want our first night here to consist of you reliving what happened to you because you’re not ready to be with me in that way? This isn’t a quick fuck and forget between us. We’re married which means we will live together long after tonight. If I hurt you or do something you’re not ready for it would hurt both of us. There is no rush, but you know what I will take?”
“What?” Her voice breaks but it’s starting to sound more like her.

“I’ll kiss you good night. Yeah?”

She finally smiles her real smile and rests her face against my hand. “Yeah, okay.”

I close the space between us and stop until there’s an inch of space between us. “If you want it, take it Mrs. Rhodes.”

She smirks. “I want it Mr. Rhodes.” Then she closes the space between us.

Let me tell you…the way she calls me Mr. Rhodes is having an odd effect on me. No one says it like her.

The kiss is short and less intense than the others we’ve had but she smiles at me with a look on her face that says I did the right thing. I don’t know shit about being a good boyfriend or husband but from the look she’s giving me I must be doing okay.

“Hey…” She whispers and glances around like someone might hear her. “Last one in the pool has to sleep out on the deck tonight.”

“What-“ She is up off the bed so fast that I would swear she stole some of the Flash’s power.

I am barely on my feet when I hear a splash coming from outside. When I realize I’ve already lost I don’t bother rushing out, and the sight I see makes my heart race like a fucking love sick fool. The sun is setting behind Blue and she is standing there in the pool soaking wet and smiling like nothing bad exists in this world.

In that moment I know I will never be able to let her go. She looks like a Blue haired angel come to steal me from my boring old life and turn everything upside down. I also realize that I don’t give a fuck.



**Blue**

Our first night in Fiji is spent with us crashing the second we finish dinner. We have room service bring us a yummy fish dish that is so good I felt like I died and went to heaven, but I might be bias because I usually hate fish. Artemis took a bite first and assured me that it was safe to eat, and I overcame my nerves and tried it. He was being polite because that fish was amazing!

After that we showered…separately…and Artemis made sure to leave me one of his t-shirts to wear per our agreement. It’s some sort of magically soft material that made me do a little dance of happiness. You know the one…

When I came out of the bathroom, I could swear I saw pride in Artemis’s eyes. I guess he really likes the idea of me wearing his shirts, and if they all feel this soft then I’m not complaining. Once I let him get an eye full, I ran over to the bed and he quickly pulled the blanket back so I could immediately cuddle under it.

“Oh wow. It feels like I’m laying on a cloud.” I murmured into then very fluffy pillow.

My eyes instantly felt heavy, and I drifted off to sleep less than a minute later. I woke up for a split second when I felt Artemis wrap his arm around me from behind. There is a smile on my face when I fall asleep and when the darkness tries to work its way in Artemis holds me tighter and I sleep like a baby. He is sleep training me like a damn baby and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to sleep without him now. When morning comes I’m too comfortable to move and the soft breeze coming through the window smells like the sea reminding me where we are.

Artemis whisked me off to a beautiful tropical island and got us an amazing tiny house suite on the ocean! How is this my life now? Over a week ago I was sleeping in a rusty of train car and now I have an insanely hot guy spooning me right now…and we’re freaking married! I mean what the actual heck? If this is a dream don’t wake me up because it’s way too amazing. Shit, wouldn’t that be the worst?

Artemis moves behind me, but he doesn’t move away from me. He shuffles closer and buries his face in the back of my neck making me scrunch up my shoulders when his breath tickles me.

“Good morning Mrs. Rhodes.” He grumbles in his deep just woke up voice that makes me melt.

I mean that voice is gravely and low and everything good about a man’s voice. I swear!

“Morning.” I say with a sigh and relax back into him. “Do we have to get up?”

“No. We can stay here as long as you want.” He says.

That is the correct answer my friend because you bet, I’m going to remind him of the time he slept in with me all day.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do tourist stuff?” I ask as a joke because he strikes me as the type to hate all that stuff.

The man barely ever looks happy about anything. I’m shocked I’m able to pull a smile out of him at all.

“Why the fuck would I want to ride around in a car full of tourists to look at shit I can see pictures of online?” Artemis asks before he rolls over onto his back.

I roll onto my other side to look at him and boy does he look good. The disheveled look is his best look by far and when he has that small bit of stubble…girls…he looks good enough to eat. Those models I used to see on the posters around the city have nothing on this guy. He should be a model, but that’s no surprise given the way all the members of his family look like a fashion week spread of an expensive magazine. I can’t help imagining a family photo of them all looking dolled up and then me. Short, blue haired, and completely out of place.

Man, I hate how my mind can be in such a positive place for one second and then turn it into another reminder that I totally suck.

Artemis sighs loudly and turns his head to face me too. “Do you want to do tourist stuff?”

He sounds like he’s in pain, but it’s fine.

“You want one hundred percent honesty?” I ask and he nods. “I want to be around the least amount of people possible.”

“Thank fuck.” he says with a relieved groan. “Now let’s get back to where we were.”

I break out laughing when he reaches for me and pulls me closer to him. Once he has his arms wrapped around me and we are face to face my laugh dies off. He looks at me so intensely sometimes that I want to look away, but I also want to see every look. Those moments are the real him and I want to see every side of him.